Even if a thought does not represent anything bad in and of itself or in its consequences, do not immediately incline towards it, but be patient for a time, so as not to do anything rash. Some have waited five years before carrying out a thought.
—St. Theophan the Recluse, The Path to Salvation: A Manual of Spiritual Transformation
Category: DISCERNMENT
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“There are many who live in the mountains and behave as if they were in the town, and they are wasting their time. It is possible to be a solitary in one’s mind while living in a crowd, and it is possible for one who is a solitary to live in the crowd of his own thoughts.”
—Amma Syncletica -
One need not be a monk to be modest in words, actions and dress. Modesty is not drawing attention to yourself, to your wisdom, your charm, your humour or your physical beauty. Modesty is acting in public in ways that do not draw attention to yourself. If you want to begin to live in exile from the world, St. John recommends that you start with modesty. Dress, speak and act in ways that don’t draw attention to yourself. Those who see themselves as exiles do not seek to stand out.
—Fr. Michael Gillis
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Think nothing and do nothing without a purpose directed to God. For to journey without direction is wasted effort.
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When we are impatient, we experience the present moment as empty and we want to move away from it. Much of our commercial culture skillfully exploits our impatience and tempts us to move toward the “real thing,” which is always somewhere else or at some other time.
—Henri Nouwen, Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life -
A waiting person is a patient person. The word patience comes from the Latin verb patior, which means “to suffer.” Waiting patiently is suffering through the present moment, tasting it to the fullest in the belief that something hidden there will manifest itself to us.
—Henri Nouwen, Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life -
Whenever there is a lack of clarity or ambiguous circumstances, it is time to wait. Active waiting is essential to the spiritual life. In our mostly active lives and fast-paced culture, waiting is not a popular pastime. It is not something we anticipate or experience with great joy. In fact, most of us consider it a waste of time.
—Henri Nouwen, Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life -
If a person truly and utterly wants something, even against his own best interests, the Lord will patiently and at length through various people and new circumstances plant obstacles and try to dissuade the person from the needless and fatal goal. But when we are stubbornly implacable in our desires, then God steps aside and lets our blind and powerless freedom take its course.
Everyday Saints and Other Stories
Archimandrite Tikhon Shevkunov -
The wind blows where it wills; you hear its voice but do not know whence it comes and whither it goest (cf. John 3:8). So does it also occur with anyone who is abandoning the world. In a similar way, the beginning of anyone who undertakes the monastic life is surrounded with signs. Those who begin monasticism know about this. It is more than a desire that entices one toward this life, though this desire is the root of it all. It so happens that there are other occurrences in which the finger of God is clearly seen.
They later serve as hope-bearing supports for the completion of what has been begun, and they convince one to set out and bring to completion one’s purpose. It is impossible to describe what precisely occurs. Everyone has something known only to herself, and only to herself it appears to be quite unusual.
—St. Theophan the Recluse, Kindling the Divine Spirit
SO GOOD QUOTES 